Pilot for street-cars



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

J. W. ABRAHAMS.

PILOT FOR STREET CARS.

No. 469,291. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

wi/bmama w wm zw a ww/ UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN lVILLIAM ABRAl-IAMS, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES RIDDELL, OF SAME PLACE, AND THOMAS Gr. MCOLURE,

OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PILOT FO R STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,291, dated February 28, 1892. Application filed July 10, 1891. Serial No. 399,059. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN WILLIAM ABRA- HAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pilots for Street-Oars; and I do-herehydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such -as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to cable, electric, orother motor-propelled streetcars, and

has for its object certain improvements in construction of a pilot, guard, or fender to prevent serious injury to persons or animals coming in forcible contact with the car.

1 The invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a street-car provided with my improved pilot or guard; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of one of the platforms of a car and my improved pilot, and Fig. 3 a top plan view of the pilot detached.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters thereon, A indicates a street-car of any approved construction designed to be propelled by motive power; 13, the pilot or guard, which may be attached to one or both ends of the car.

The pilot consists of a frame, which may be made of rods of metal or of tubes to reduce the weight of the structure. Preference is given to the latter construction. The frame is composed of two angular bars a a, which are united at their rear ends by a bar Z), and two parallel bars 0 c, which terminate in upturned ends (Z (Z, and are supported upon wheels 6 e, secured to arms ff, attached to the bars cc, and rest against supports 9 g, also attached to the bars 0 c. The weight of the front end of the pilot is cushioned upon springs h h, interposed between the arms ff and the bars 0 c.

The pilot is see ured to the under side of the car-platform by a disk 1', seated in a bracket is, secured to the platform, and is free to turn on its axis to accomodate the motion of the car and the pilot in rounding curves in the roadway. To the disk '5 is attached a rod Z, in the lower end of which is an eye on, through which the bar 6 of the frame of the pilot passes, and the two form a hinge-joint to afford vertical movement of the pilot when it is desired to raise the pilot out of engagement of the track or put it in engagement therewith.

Between the parallel bars 0 c of the frame of the pilot is secured a curved bar D, which is T-shaped in cross-section, and a stud E, having a forked lower end 412, a collar '17 a ratchet 0, and a disk 19 projects through the platform and engages with the lower side of the horizontal flanges q q of the bar D by means of pins r 7', having rollers s s on their inner ends to reduce friction. The pins are supported in the forks m of the stud E, and between the collar n on the stud E and the metallic seat to is interposed a spring 1; to support the weight of the pilot and hold it normally out of contact by its wheelse c with the railway-track. To the upper surface of the platform is secured a lug co, in which is pivoted a pawl b, the long arm 0' of which engages with the ratcheto on the stud. E and holds the pilot down in engagement with the track. v

The frame of the pilot is covered with bars or strips d, which cross each other and are secured together by rivets e, and on each side of the pilot is attached a fender f f which inclines downward at an angle of about, fortyfive degrees and is designed to push persons or animals away from the sides or wheels of the car.

hen it is desired to raise the pilot, the pawl b is tripped and disengaged from the ratchet 0, when the spring 1) raises the pilot, and when it is desired again to lower the pilot the stud E is depressed by force applied to the disk 10, which compresses the spring '0, and the pawl 17 again put in engagement with the ratchet o.

By this construction a very light, durable, and effective pilot or guard is produced, and which is capable of being readily raised to pass obstructions on the roadway and again I00 instantly returned to serve as a guard and fender.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A pilot or guard for street-railway cars, consisting of a metallic frame having angular arms connected bya transverse barat its rear end, a vertical hinge, and a joint to admit of lateral movement, in combination with a stud extending through the platform of the car and engaging with said frame.

2. A pilot or guard for street-railway cars, consisting of a metallic frame having angular and parallel arms, a bar connecting the rear end of the angular bars, a curved bar, and means for admitting of vertical and lateral movement, in combination with a stud having a forked lower end in engagement with said curved bar, a spring encircling said stud, and a ratchet and pawl, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A pilot or guard for street-railway cars, consisting of a metallic frame having a curved T-shaped bar between its sides, acovering of crossed metallic bars, and means for admitl consisting of a frame of tubular side bars and crossed covering-bars, arms connected to the front ends of the side bars, and supportingwheels engaging with the track, a vertical and a laterally-movablejoint, in combination with means for raising and lowering the pilot.

5.' A pilot or guard for street-railway cars, consisting of a metallic frame covered by crossed bars and provided with inclined fenders on the sides and adjacent to the end of the car.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN VVILL'IAM ABRAHAMS.

Vitnesses:

ADDISON Z. BYERS, Enw. A. Hnss. 

